ST. MARYS — The St. Marys Minor Baseball All-Stars jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first inning and never looked back on the way to a 7-0 shutout of Bradford in the District 10 winners’ bracket Wednesday.
Bradford dropped to the consolation bracket and faces DuBois at 6 p.m. Friday at Scott Fields in Derrick City. St. Marys awaits the winner of that game, for a 4 p.m. tilt set Sunday for the District 10 title.
Starting pitcher Jonathan “Doc” Chapman threw three and two-thirds innings, allowing no runs on one hit and surrendering just four walks.
St. Marys, playing as the visitors, cranked out five runs on five hits in the top of the first on singles by Chapman, Easton Straub, Kalon Caskey, Ricky Hurd and Duke Radkowski.
Bradford could get nothing going offensively, managing only four baserunners, including Maddon Splain reaching on a fielder’s choice in the fourth.
St. Marys added two more for insurance in the fifth as Cael Stauffer singled and scored when Chapman next reached on an error. Straub drove Chapman home on a hard grounder to short.
Bradford looked like it might start a rally in the sixth as Jameis Furlong cracked a double down the left-field line to get things started. Griffin Atteberry walked and Ryan Johnson reached on catcher interference to load the bases, but the trio were stranded to end the game.
Bradford’s Eli Haynoski pitched four and one-third innings in relief, holding St. Marys to just two runs during his time on the mound. He retired five on strikes and walked only one. Mason Haynoski whiffed two in relief and Furlong threw in a strikeout.
Also pitching for St. Marys were Straub (one inning pitched, two strikeouts) and Carson Dellaquila (one and one-third innings, four strikeouts, one walk, one hit).
Offensively for the winners, Chapman went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, Straub was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, Duke Radkowski was 2-for-2 and Rory Wendel belted a double.